Toothbrush



Jan. 2, 1923w A. C. LEVIS. TborHBRusH. FILED APR. 26. 1920- patented Jan. 2, 1923.

warren srars ALBERT O. LEVIS, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO WESTERN BOTTLE MANUFAC- TUBING COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

TOOTHBRUSH,

Application filed April 25, 1920. Serial No. 376,555.

To aZZ whom it may concern Be it known that I, ALBERT C. Laws a citizen of the United States, residing at C icago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Toothbrushes, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to tooth brushes and I has for its object to provide a brush element having its brushing or working surface so shaped as to render the single brush element effectively usable for brushing either the outer or inner side surfaces of the teeth vertically or otherwise and thereby eliminate the necessity of providing two brush elements each with a distinctively shaped brushing surface in order to effectively acforegoing type that it will stand up under hard usage with resulting long life.

Briefly stated my invention consists in progressively increasing the heights of the tufts of the bristles from the ends toward a predetermined pointat the rear of the center of the brush and in so mounting each tuft of bristles that it is substantially radially disposed with respect to a concaved curved surface formed on the workingside rial. One end'of this handle member constltutes the brush back as is usual and said end is shaped to provide a curved inner surface 12. Along the surface 12 tufts of bristles 16 are inserted as clearly shown in Figof that portion of the handle which consti-- tutes the brush back. By this arrangement the extremities of the bristles in adjacent tufts lengthwise of the handle contact and brace each other along the working surface of the brush, thereby permitting the brush to Joe constructed higher at the predetermin (1 point between its ends previously referre to than would be possible were this bracin action omitted. Refe ing to the drawings in which lik numeral denote like parts throughout the several 'ews, I

Figure 1 is a side view of a brush of this invention showing its application to the inner tooth surfaces of a human mouth.

Figure 2 shows the same brush applied to the other surfaces of the teeth in the ordinary manner.

Fi re 3 is an enlarged detail side view showing the construction of the brush.

Figure 4 is an end view of the parts shown in Figure 3.

In constructing my invention I provide a handle member 10 of any suitable mateure 3 and secured in place in the usual manner, as for instance by the thread, wires or staples 18 inserted from the end of the handle'. -The tufts of bristles 16 progressively increase in height from each end of the brush to a predetermined intermediate point 32 which is located some distance to the rear of the center of the brush. I thus provide the brush with relatively long and short brushing surfaces aa and 5-6 (Fig. 3) respectively which in combination form a substantially convexly curved brushing surface conforming to the curvature of the innerv side surface of the teeth as shown in Figure 1 and renders my brush highly effic-ient in cleansing these surfaces. On the other hand by providing the relatively long brushing surface a-a the effectiveness of my brush in operating on the outer side and crown surfaces of the teeth is fully maintained-as clearly shown in Figure 2. By providing the brushing surfaces aa and b-b I render my single brush capable of efficiently performing the dualfunction previously set out and which functions have heretofore requiredseparate brushing elements for their proper performance. In order to prevent premature collapse of the brush in use as a result of providing the high brush portion at the point 32 I dispose each tuft of bristles 16 substantially radial with respect to the curve surface 12 at the point of its insertion in the handle, with the result that although the. groups of bristles are separated by relatively wide spaces 20 the outer end portions of each tuft of bristles necessarily engages the corresponding portion of the adjacent tuft of bristles at points 22. As a result of this construction it will be obvious that each tuft of bristles is braced by the surrounding bristles at the points of contact 22, which provides the essential strength for the brushing or working surfaces, even though the brush element is constructed relatively high at an intermediate point to accomplish the functions heretofore point is important because until a brush dries out between usings it cannot, under modern brushing practice, which requires dry stiff bristles, be used again, and the closely packed bristles of the prior art. will not, under ordinary atmospheric conditions, dry out in the three or four hours between meals.

I claim 1. A tooth brush comprising a handle having the end forn'iing the brush back provided with. a concavely curved inner surface, and a plurality of tufts of bristles secured to the handle and projecting from said curved surface in substantial radial disposition with respect thereto, said tufts of bristles progressively increasing in height from the ends of the brush to a point between the center and rear ends thereof, said group of tufts of bristles being of rectangular form of a length approximately three or more times its width, there being wide air spaces between the base portions of the tufts of bristles.

2. A tooth brush camp-rising a handle having the end fm-min the brush back provided with a concavely curved inner surface and a plurality of tufts of bristles, spaced apart at their bases to form Jwide air spaces between tufts, securedto the handle and projecting from said curved surface in substantial radial disposition with respect thereto, said tufts extending to heights where each tuft normally slightly contacts each of its neighbors slightly below their outer ends which ends progressively increase in height from the ends of the brush to a point between the center and rear ends thereof, the entire group of tufts of bristles on the handlebeing of rectangular form of approximately three times its Width.

3. A brush having a longitudinally concaved back provided with tufts of bristles in radial arrangement thereto with the bases of the tufts spaced apart while the upper portions of the tufts are closely adjacent each other, the outer ends or points of the tufts being parallel to the back of the brush in a transverse line and convex thereto in a- {longitpfdiual' line with the highest point of convexity located between the center of the brush and the handle end thereof.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name in the presence of two-witnesses.

ALBERT o. LEvis. Witnesses Y i B. FRAZER, JOHN I. WOODSIDE. 

